A high-speed network environment typically includes network devices such as routers and switches used for facilitating delivery of information packets and/or data traffic from source devices to destination devices via communication networks such as IP and/or packet-based networks. Information pertaining to the transfer of data packet(s) and/or frame(s) through the network(s) is usually embedded within the packet and/or frame itself. Each packet, for instance, traveling through multiple nodes via one or more communication networks such as Internet and/or Ethernet can typically be handled independently from other packets in a packet stream or traffic. Each node which may include routing, switching, and/or bridging engines processes incoming packet(s) or frame(s) and determines where the packet(s) or frame(s) should be forwarded.
A typical modern communications network usually includes various network devices such as network elements (“NEs”) as well as Network Management systems (“NMSs”). An NE, for instance, is a managed logical entity including one or more physical devices. An NMS, on the other hand, is a managing logic entity capable of managing one or more NEs via a network management protocol, for example, simple network management protocol (“SNMP”).
In order to establish a high-speed computing network, NMS of a network is typically required to identify and/or initialize each and every attached NE via a network protocol such as a process of node discovery. When an NMS discovers one or more NEs, a large amount of data relating to the discovery information including various circuit data and node status need to be transferred from the NE to the NMS. For example, to obtain circuit data, NMS typically has to send large number of SNMP bulk requests, and subsequently, receives large number of independent responses back from each NE.
A problem associated with a conventional NMS is that a process of full node discovery is required when an NMS is restarted or recovered wherein a full node discovery is typically time consuming. Depending on the number of NEs attached, a full node discovery for a typical NMS can take hours to complete. High volume of request-response management transactions of a full node discovery can slow down and/or clog network management traffic, and consequently, degrade overall network performance.